Planning a Meeting in the Poconos

Planning a Meeting in the Poconos ~ Our tips for the Meeting Planner

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Whether you are a novice or expert meeting planner, or your boss put you in charge of planning the next big company meeting, you have come to the right place. There is a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. Where do you begin? We have got some helpful tips from meeting planning professionals on how to successfully pull together an event that's professional, well executed and within budget.

Stay within Budget

Before you do anything else, determine your budget. Pining down limits early in the planning process helps other variables fall into place - site selection, catering options and meeting style all depend on resources available. Here's a list of items of items to consider:
Transportation, Facility Rental, Equipment Rental, Accommodation, Catering, Entertainment.
It's not a bad idea to leave a little room in your budget for those inevitable unforeseen expenses that pop up along the way.

Choosing a Date

Have at least two dates in mind: a preferred date and a just-in-case alternate date. That way, when you start checking out available facilities, you'll be able to choose the best option based on the number of people who can attend. Alternate dates also mean you can negotiate for better prices.

Consider the low-season midweek specials. Many companies take advantage of discounted fares available with midweek (Sunday - Thursday) stay over, in the Poconos. If cost is a primary concern, you can significantly reduce costs by planning your meeting around Spring or Fall, no holiday dates.

Location

Off site or on site? Carefully weigh the options here. While holding a meeting on site may seem like the best cost-savings option, on-site meetings at offices come with productivity-reducing distractions. Meeting attendees are more likely to run back to their offices to check e-mail, voice mail and in boxes. The flow of group thought is more easily disrupted. Subtle influences such as office politics and "organizational baggage" are often hanging in the air, affecting attendance attitude. People are refreshed at off site locations and able to truly focus on the agenda. Up front facility expenses are frequently recovered in increased productivity.

Meeting Equipment

Today's meeting-room requirements are more than four walls, a few chairs and a couple of flip charts. Meeting attendees will likely bring laptops to access and present computer-based information. You'll need a means of projecting that information for presenting. Group member will need a means to capture notes and ideas generated in the meeting. A speedy Internet connection is becoming standard. Will video conferencing tools be required?

Hiring a Professional

Outsourcing event planning can save a lot of time and headaches. Modern lodging facilities in the Poconos will offer you a Meeting Coordinator who will foresee all aspects of your event and the zillions of details that can plague an event will, instead be handled efficiently and seamlessly.

Visit our Top Seller A Facility & Meeting Coordinator that will give you peace of mind in the Poconos!